"this is an opportunity to showcase Rwanda’s fashion industry to the international market, and a chance to create new avenues for them to gain regional and international markets for their products."

"You were born not to make noise but to make impact."

"When the going gets tough, that is when I see God coming in his full might."

"As you grow older, you start to understand more and more that life is not about what you look like or what you own, it’s all about the person you have become and the people you have blessed."

"The ability to speak is good but the ability to speak to yourself is awesome if you can listen."

"When you are doing something you are enjoying, you wouldn’t bother to take care of your health. Once there is life in you, you keep doing what you are doing. And it’s something that pays back on your body."

"”Ethnicity made globally friendly is what makes Nigerian designs stand out”."

"”We are successful when every other designers who came through us are successful”."

"” Success does not come because of one’s background”."

". I have learnt to grow up funny enough, to be mature, to invest in my craft through reading, and to be better every single day. BY Lesego Otlhabanye retrieved ( 9 July 2022)"

"Khumo Kgwaadira: Sometimes I fall, I rise up, fall and rise up again by Lesego Otlhabanye, SheLeadaAfrica, retrieved 10-November 2022."

"It's never something easy to do to overcome your fears and talk about them in the public space. By TswaLebs April 27, 2020, 01:00pm TswaLebs, retrieved 10 November 2022."

"This entertainment industry is unkind, complicated and harsh…focus is what has gotten me through. By Lesego Otlhabanye / Retrieved ( 9 July 2022)"

"I have learnt this early on in college, to stay committed to my work because I know for sure at the end of the day I will be reaping the rewards of the work I put in. By Lesego Otlhabanye retrieved ( 9 July 2022)"

"I have a duty to groom up and coming fashion designers in Botswana behind the scenes."

"Designers are more like clothing architects. It is more about the concept than the product because there is more to the product than what meets the eye."

"Fashion is art. It is something that we use to express ourselves as individuals."

"I do not follow conventional fashion trends, instead I create fashion trends, and make every one of my clients feel special by designing outfits that are unique to their figures, character and personalities."

"German prints have always been a part of our culture. They were a prestigious dress code that was initially reserved for elders."

"A woman should have clothing items that will last for 10 years in her closet and play around with accessories to create different looks."

"The real core of our business is God. So, if we have different opinions or a strong opinion about one thing, the final opinion we seek is His. It’s what holds us together as one and what has made us stand so strong in the face of every challenge that we’ve faced"

"“We don't need aid, we need partnerships. We cannot continue to be a beggar nation. I have always believed yo shouldn't give the man the fish,but teach the mangiw to fish and he will be able to take care of himself and others“."

"“West has taken and borrowed a lot from Africa…now it’s a renaissance: we’re claiming back what is ours and we’re adding value to what is ours, making it globally acceptable and globally appealing”."

"“We know that Africa has potential, all we need is investors – either local or foreign – to come on board with money and partner with us and take it all the way up there. If Burberry, Armani, or Prada, instead of coming to look for inspiration, actually partnered with the craftsman or designers to do a line, it would be a world-class hit”."

"“Being a Nigerian was no limitation for me because I just thought, well you haven’t seen me and there’s loads more like me”."

"The West has taken and borrowed a lot from Africa… now its a renaissance. We’re claiming back with is ours and we’re adding value to what is ours, making it globally acceptable and globally appealing"

"African designers need to celebrate their cultural roots and fashion history in order to become globally competitive"

"I try to fuse African cultural style with a modern approach to design. I love the dynamism of creating modernity out of something that is steeped in history. I think it’s what gives my collection such a cultural mix"

"I didn’t choose fashion, it chose me, ... I think the only way I’ve managed is because I know fashion was my destiny. African designers face so many challenges, producing collections and working hard to rise above the manufacturing infrastructure problems. For me, it’s about rising to the challenge and I think it’s made me a better designer. I feel I produce more intelligent clothing as a result"

"African bespoke is different from European bespoke, in that Africans are very much more endowed in very specific areas. My challenge is that I work with a lot of lumps and bumps, which almost turns me into a type of cosmetic surgeon. Except that I’m not cutting you up or anything, it's just that I do a lot of things with fabrics and accentuating, to create that perfect hourglass shape"

"When I started out, it was with a certain philosophy, because at that time it wasn’t cool to look African. Africa wasn’t on the map as it is now. … There was nothing really happening in terms of African fashion going global, or Africans being able to make a business of African fashion outside of the shore of Africa. So I went into it, sort of, to prove a point and to say ‘Listen. We can do this. We can add value.’ And to also bring the attention of the world to our own native abilities"

"I just had this can-do spirit. I was just so convinced that my product was so genuine and would no doubt conquer the world"

"Developing my own fabrics is essential for me. Every time you do it, it’s fresh; the drawings, the process of making Adire, starting with indigo and then just making music with colour and patterns, 'fabric jazz'. I wanted to play with floaty fabrics this time. It was just my mood. Of course I’m still in the throws of my love affair with Aso Oke which is still a huge feature in this collection."

"Fashion chose me, and I believe that it did because I had been sent to impact African fashion as it relates to the world. It’s not just me; it’s my family"

"Family plays a huge part in our business because it’s the cornerstone. We do everything together, whether it’s deciding the theme for the season or what each feature of every look that will form the collection we are working on might be"

"Everything is done in-house. From the conceptualisation to filming campaigns, everything is always completely done by the it-girls.” Their orientation of family extends to their clients, “We get so involved with clients, we want [our clients] to be a part of our family as much as possible"

"I have been vegetarian for almost 15 years now, and I made the transition to being vegan slowly about 5 years ago. … Hate mushrooms? Prepare to fall in love with them. always freaked you out? You ain’t cooking it right then. One of the best things about being vegan is how much you come to appreciate food … it's just about opening up your palette and trying new things. Once you get into it, you won't go back."

"Vegetarians are hotter than meat-eaters."

"When I saw how animals are tortured on factory farms, I couldn't justify being a part of that cruelty. I thought, "Imagine if that were me". Straight away, I said, "That's it – I'm going vegetarian"."

"[...] I do not separate between work and life."

"The time when physically nothing is happening is equally important."

"Intelligent men are not ashamed to bring out their feminine side."

"Wealth is a wonderful ticket to freedom."

"In Rome they dress very well. In Milan, they dress more bourgeoisly. But the most avant-garde city... is Naples. The Neapolitan underground youth can easily be compared to a city like London."

"All the mistakes I did in my life, I like to keep them private."

"If you are a dickhead you will still be a dickhead after tertiary education."

"I have 5,000 books in my home, 1,000 of which I feel are close to my heart. They have always shown me the way. Books are my great passion; I could not live without them."

"I used to always get up at 5 A.M., but now I force myself to stay in bed until 6."

"I believe that there are three things in life that you must absolutely do yourself because nobody can do it in your place: keeping fit, following a diet, and accumulating culture."

"But with a phone call I can understand your mood, your emotions. With an email I can’t. When speaking I can understand if you have a problem in an instant. I understand your fear. But I can begin to cultivate a hope with you."